MORE NEWS, IFUGAO

Man arrested for frustrated murder, theft

KIANGAN, Ifugao – Police nabbed a person wanted for frustrated murder and theft here last week.

The suspect was identified as Jacob Humiwat y Bantiyan Aka Acob, 36, a resident Barangay Nungawa, Asipulo. .

Asipulo police headed by PI Harry B. Dawayan and PSI Robert K. Addun, officer-in-charge of Kiangan police nabbed the suspect at Barangay Pindongan, Kiangan.

Humiwat was charged for said crimes before the Regional Trial Court in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Records of the case stated Humiwat was the suspect in the shooting of his supervisor, Pedro Pikpikan in Barangay Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet in August 2004 and the taking of a service firearm from the security agency where accused worked as security guard.


DOH revives ‘lost by default’ Ifugao hospital
By Juan B. Dait Jr.

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- This highland province has won back the state-of-the-art hospital which it lost by default early this year when the Asian Development Bank withdrew its grant-loan fund support of P 95-million for the project.

The ADB cancelled its grant-loan financial package for the hospital after Ifugao Governor Teordoro Baguilat, Jr. failed to submit the requaried authority to sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the ADB.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan had refused to grant the governor the necessary authority unless the provincial executive submitted a comprehensive feasibility study on the hospital project particularly the loan-repayment scheme.

The ADB assistance was subsequently given to Batangas, a non-ADB province.

Dr. Mary Jo Dulawan, Ifugao Provincial Health Officer, told this correspondent in an interview that the Department of Health saved the hospital project for Ifugao by approving an initial grant of P50-million to start the construction of the new hospital.

The new hospital would replace the 20-year-old dilapidated Ifugao General Hospital located in a cramped site in Barangay Cudog.

The health official revealed that the DOH would release a second grant of P 60 – million after the construction of the new hospital had hospital had started sometime in May this year.

Construction of the State-of-the-Art hospital here is expected to be formally announced by Health Secretary Francisco Duque when he visits this capital town on June 18, 2009 to attend the Ifugao Day festivities.

Dr. Dulawan said that the new hospital would offer modern medical services including tertiary operations such as brain surgery and other major operations.

She further explained that the doors of the new hospital would be open to all sectors of the public, both rich and poor and indigents in compliance with the mandate of the constitution.

Baguilat has created an 11-man special task force to choose the site of the new hospital.
In recommending the site, the task force will consider such factors as accessibility by the public, vehicular traffic convenience, peace and order, availability of water and ground stability and topography.